Getting the blog caught up on photos!

 

 Highlights:
1) We had a fun time on Halloween. Kaylee and Levi AND Eric were characters from Wrech It Ralph.
2)  Kaylee and I had a blast at a class for kids to paint their own first canvas. You can see how well she did. I did help keep snowman white.
3) We had our first ever family photo shoot for our once a year portrait session!
4) Other photos are just some other cute ones from some fun times!

Cheers! It's so busy around the holiday! Take care and be safe!

Playtime update

Levi has loved playing baby jaguar. About 20 x a day Levi drops to all fours and pronounces, " I'm a baby jaguar". Then sister K ensues also being a jaguar and they partake in partial growls, barks and words as their play language. They are playing better and better together! It's a beautiful thing!

The moments they hug are so lovely...more than words cute!

They've been doing well at gymnastics, they can both flip themselves on the rings now. Levi tries to jump one footed on the beam even though they are not telling him to do that. I will have to takes photo next weekend at the last class.

Levi is now fully potty trained and allowed in big boy underwear at all times and at daycare. Another beautiful thing! A lot of effort towards this day and it is a big relief! Proud of him! We of course still have him in pull ups during the night. We also have pulled all bribes ( ahem rewards) as of a week ago.  Feels good!

Kaylee loves to tell stories, be a teacher and a librarian. She enlists her brother to be her student. He loves to listen to her stories, he sure thinks she can read. And as I may have noted she actually can read quite a bit now. Can read short sentences. Some two syllable words, so proud she's doing great! They both continue to love to dress up. This morning during dance time she was a fairy and he was superwhy.

Right now they are playing that someone is injured and it's time to go to the hospital. And to the nurse's office...I am able to blog because they're playing so well together!!

This weekend's been good. Carved pumpkins last night. Got to have lunch out with just Eric thanks to aunt b. went to the library and to the playground (warm nice day) today.

Fun at the Apple Orchard

 

Thanks to my parents for being with us and for helping us out - esp. with Levi potty training. Grandpa helped a couple times by standing in line with Levi. (there were some accidents in our first time out in big boy underwear! but what better place to learn than when we are outside?)

 

It's a fun family tradition - we did the tractor ride, then to have some apple donuts and pie and then tot the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins! The kids had a great time, loved also being with their grandparents and their Auntie! Thanks for a fun time! Hope you are having a fun time this fall doing your family traditions!

 

Afterwards we went out for some food together and BOTH kids took a nap on the ride home (much less usual for Kaylee) and then Levi proceeded to nap ANOTHER 3 hours after we got home! I'd say that it wore them out! :)

 

I know that at our house we are getting excited for Halloween and are busy assimilating our costumes. We will be doing a dry run dress rehearsal here shortly to see what all we have, how it looks and what else we need to do to get ready for our fun night out of trick or treating!  They can't wait!

Kaylee's first Conference (non preschool)

Kaylee’s first conference in ‘real’ school!

Teacher was very nice, said some great things about Kaylee – that she has friends, is ready to help the teacher and her friends whenever asked and sometimes when not asked. That the only time she is a bit distracted when she’s supposed to be working independently on work is when she notices a friend needs help doing it “right” and tries to assist therefore slowing down her own progress.  She is meeting all the measures the teacher has of where she wants her and she is ready to ‘pass’ the trimester test halfway through the trimester. She showed us the book they read and need to pass at the end of the year and we were shocked that they are going to expect them to get that far. 3 sentences a page, some word 2 syllable. I can’t believe how much Kaylee is going to learn this year – and I have complete faith that with hard work at home and at school she will get there! J Teacher was very proud of a particular project she had done going taking a suggestion for alternating colors (an extra idea the teacher said they didn’t ‘have’ to do) – it was cute to see how into it the teacher gets and how proud she was! I know Kaylee has a great teacher now for sure! So happy!  She said the little girls have a bit of an issue with wanting to adjust where they are sitting when they see where their friends are sitting – so they now have assigned spots.  She said Kaylee is very talkative in class, very social and at times “too social”. Which is a relief to me because I was a very shy kid (had friends, but was quiet) and sometimes it hurts to be so shy. So I didn’t know how Kaylee would be and I am glad to hear she is probably more socially like her Dad. (though not cracking as many jokes J) Speaking of her Dad, Eric has been helping Kaylee a lot in the mornings with her letters and her writing. He’s intent on helping her as much as he can with whatever she needs to work on. So thankful! We got some great ideas for ipad apps to work on things with her more.

-Little words

-Teach me Kindergarten

-Cimo Can Spell

- and some tracing letters one I can’t remember the name of

 

So we’ll have to try those out and it looks like Levi will also have a lot of fun getting to know those apps.

As a working mom, things that make life more sane

As a working mother, I feel like there are quite a few things that could be done to make life easier and have for me...

My favs:
1) the grocery store that delivers food! Love being able to do this boring task without lugging two young ones along, who are "hungry" and begging for anything and everything they see (no I don't get them what they want, I get what I was going to get anyways) anyways, I esp. love the thing they have to remind you what you bought before, and the meal planner section with meal ideas (where it's easy to choose all ingredients)

2) love the breast pump, kept me and my 2 nursing well past year one! Closer to yr 2 but the pump is what helped us get past yr 1. Feeling good about things improving for women who more and more have a place to do this at work! And not the bathroom(eww and unsanitary!) and not the boss' office (eww again)

3) love the crock pot, use it 1-2 times a week to cook up meals for us while I'm at work

4) love the ATM and the ability to buy stamps at them - like I said anything so you don't have to drag kids inside is good!

5) love sliding doors on cars, feels good to not have to worry your kid opening the door will hit another person or car...

6) with less and less time, love email and text

7) love the iPad for learning games and for a little peace an quiet while they watch toons or play games without it becoming the center of what's going on in the room (like tv)

8)Love pull ups and absorbent underwear for ease of training without risking all the mess (no time to clean extra since I'm so busy all the time)

Happy Birthday to my little 3 year old!

 

Dr. Visit:

Levi - 3 years old

35 lbs (79%)

38 in high (57%)

success at the vision and hearing tests - mostly in following directions!

no shots needed - only flu mist!

 

Levi you are one special little three year old! You are affectionate, sweet (even though you still like to hit sometimes), you smile often, you make us all laugh, you like to get in a bit of trouble (but not much!) You are not a child who throws fits (thankfully) and as long as we have your physical self in check (no hit!) you are such a good boy! You make jokes at this young age and not just potty talk ones. You are a mama’s boy and a daddy’s boy. You are best friends with your sister (of course there’s some sibling rivalry that’s normal). You love to play dress-up and play pretend with Kaylee. You are playing above your age level thanks to your sister. You let me read 5 year old long books to you with no complaints and only enjoyment. You don’t mind the girl play that your sister has you do for the most part – but your true blue boy self loves the sports, the active life. You don’t like art as well as your sister. But still do it alongside her making your own fun out of it. You can make a pretty good tower now. Your dad, Kaylee and I love you like crazy little guy – can’t imagine my life before you were born. You and Kaylee certainly do add a brightness to our days. Your potty training is going pretty well – you are almost there! We can now understand almost all of what you say – and now you are saying a lot more! Telling long stories about your daily or imagined adventures. We are so proud of you. In the next year, I’m sure you will grow taller. I’m sure we will see you potty train. I’m sure you will go to preschool. But I am truly loving where you are right now in this moment, little guy. Love yoU!

First Day of Kindergarten!

She told me a lot of things about her first day at Kindergarten: (thought you might all enjoy hearing about it)

 he liked the playground but it was a little too hot and her and her friend wanted to go in. The teacher told her a story about once someone bit someone on the playground, so no pushing, biting,  hiting.

 She did a shapes song

 She made a puzzle

 They learned about not cracking crayons in half

 She couldn’t figure out (so she says) to get her sandwich box so she ate all the goodies in the box (granola bar, fruit snacks) and a couple of grapes. Included less snacks today so she eats her sandwich. At lunch the teacher didn't sit with them but was helping the kids who had hot lunch get their food.

 They didn't do gym

 They didn't do computers, she wanted to use those headphones

 She met a "friend" (she calls them all friends) who speaks differently than her (I assume speaks another language at home)

They watched something where it was educational and she told me the storyline with all the characters names

 She said her favorite part was riding the bus on the way home. Her neighbor girl friend helped her, and held her hand getting off and across the street. Good girl!

 Levi's day went well according to our daycare provider without his sister. Today is his birthday and I brought him to daycare with the blueberry muffin treat. Can't wait to celebrate with him tonight and to find out how day #2 went. Today she took the bus TO school as well.

 I handled the goodbye well at the school yesterday. Was excited for her - then a few tears after as we walked away...Eric was my rock! He kept me up to date on bus pick up and drop offs so I didn't get concerned.

 A couple of big days in our household!

 

State Fair

We went to the State Fair yesterday. We had a nice time there. Very nice to be able to park at Eric's aunt's place and just walk over and not worry about parking.  Thanks C & C!

First thing, we did in there was to let the kids go around sitting and climbing on all the tractors. They each really enjoyed that - I really forgot how much I liked that as a kid but do also remember my time climbing on the tractors and thinking it was pretty darn cool.Sur

Second thing was to get a coupon book and then start our way getting some food. We got some french fries and then some carmeled apples. Kaylee at the end of the day said they were her favorite food we had there.  Then we went on a gondola ride through to take in the State Fair in bird's eye fashion. The kids loved this and had fun identifying where they thought would be fun to go. Then we walked through the Midway! Got Hawaiian shave ice and then to the Agriculture building/pond. We went to get some mini donut beer flavor (spelling) brew and some jalepeno poppers (yum that was a first for me - Kaylee liked them too). It was really good and then a watermelon bowl.

Finally we went to the kid area and the kids each got three rides. Kaylee did the giant slide then they each did car rides and the turning teacup type of ride. Then we had to do naptime and planned on coming back in the evening but we weren't able to because of the ssevere weather warnings - we were going to bring the kids back for fireworks. Oh well. we had a great time. It is so easy to spend money FAST there! Wow!

I did not remember a camera or anything during the day - so sorry for that!

Last night Levi went poop in the potty. Yay! Eric took him for a special trip to Target to pick out a matchbox car. We got a few as rewards for that. We really want to encourage that! When he pees he gets a jellybean (when we/he remembers  - intermittent reinforcement is the best kind right?).  Hopefully his potty training is right around the corner!

Today we have a birthday party for my Grandma's 87th (?) birthday. so glad she's doing so well and she's pretty independent! She's in good spirits and gets around well - feel blessed about that. Can't wait to celebrate with her!

Thanks Smith for a great Vacation - thanks Dennis for the great photos!

Levi took a header at the third trip out to the water splash/fountain area and now, a couple weeks later his face is fully recovered - like it never happened! They sure do bounce back quick! Thankfully!